Suafa'i (Banana and Coconut Cream Pudding)
Ripe bananas cooked down with arrowroot or cornstarch and coconut cream into a smooth, sweet pudding, traditionally thickened with pulaka or arrowroot starch. It's a soft, comforting dessert often made for gatherings.
- Prep
- 15 min
- Cook
- 25 min
- Total
- 40 min
- Servings
- 6
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Calories
- 230 kcal
Equipment
- •Saucepan
- •Whisk
Nutrition
Per serving, approximate
- Calories
- 230 kcal
- fat
- 8
- carbs
- 42
- protein
- 2
- calories
- 230
Instructions
- 1
Put the mashed bananas, sugar, and water in a saucepan. Heat until the liquid gently bubbles.
- 2
Cook for 10 minutes, stirring often. The bananas will soften and break down completely.
- 3
Whisk the arrowroot starch with a little cold water to make a smooth runny paste.
- 4
Stir the starch paste into the bubbling bananas. Cook and stir until the mixture thickens.
- 5
Stir in the coconut cream. Simmer for 3 to 4 more minutes until glossy and smooth.
- 6
Ladle into small bowls. Serve warm or chilled.
Chef's tips
Mash the bananas thoroughly before you begin cooking so your pudding stays smooth instead of lumpy.
Storage
Refrigerate up to 3 days; pudding will firm up when chilled.
Reheating
Warm gently on the stove or serve chilled, both are traditional.
Common mistakes to avoid
- •Adding dry starch directly to the hot liquid, which creates stubborn lumps
- •Cooking for too long, which can make the pudding gummy and gluey
Serving suggestions
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